Law firm chairman's message to young lawyers on work/life balance

Last week, I had an interesting conversation with Cesar Alvarez, the man who lead the Miami law firm of Greenberg Traurig to become one of the largest in the country. Cesar is a Cuban American who has tremendous pride for the opportunities available in the United States, legal profession and his law firm. For the last 14 years, he wielded tremendous power as CEO of the firm, what he calls a 24/7, 365 day a year job. My full interview appears in The Miami Herald.

I asked Cesar what he tells young associates about work/life balance. I also asked him about whether it takes tremendous personal sacrifice to be a good lawyer today. His response was pretty sobering.